WAREHOUSING &

DISTRIBUTION
CENTRE
OPERATIONS

UNIT - 5
 Warehouse Safety Rules and
Procedures
⦿ The safety rules and Procedures to be observed in
Warehouse
⦿ Hazardous cargo
⦿ Procedure for Identification of Hazardous Cargo
⦿ Safety data sheet
⦿ Instructions to handle hazardous cargo
⦿ Familiarization with the industry, Health, Safety &
Environment
⦿ Safety Equipment and their uses
⦿ 5S for ensuring safety
⦿ Personal protective Equipment (PPE) and their uses.
 The safety rules and Procedures to
be observed in Warehouse
1. Ensure Safety Equipment is Always Used
2. Eliminate Potential Safety Hazards
3. Identify and Mark Hazardous Zones Clearly
4. Provide Proper Training and Courses
5. Proper Clothing Should be Worn
6. Promote Awareness
7. Shelving Safety
8. Vehicle Safety
9. Carry Out Fire Safety Drills
10. Ventilate
 Cont…

⦿ Always wear protective clothing including hard hats,

gloves, vests, masks, belts, eyewear and proper
footwear.
⦿ All areas should be kept clean and free of debris.
⦿ Treat aisles the same way you would a busy street.
Look both ways and always stay alert when crossing
or going around corners.
⦿ Never attempt to operate any machinery without the
proper training.
⦿ When unpacking materials, immediately dispose of
any debris that could cause slips and falls.
⦿ Empty trash cans before they fill all the way up.
⦿ Be careful when lifting heavy objects on your own.
 Cont…
⦿ Inspect ladders before each use.
⦿ Do not sit on or lean against stacked material.
⦿ Know the weight restrictions for all storage racks
and lifting mechanisms.
⦿ Avoid wearing baggy or excessively loose-fitting
clothing.
⦿ Always stack heavier objects on the bottom of
piles with lighter objects on top.
⦿ Make sure emergency exits are clearly marked and
you know the quickest route to safety from any
location in the facility.
⦿ Know where first-aid kits and supplies are kept.
Cont…

Warehousing work activities create numerous

health and safety risks. If you fail to control
them, your warehouse may face a high employee
turnover, underperforming staff, injuries and
illnesses, lost working days, legal issues, and, at
worst, fatalities.
 Cont…

⦿ As an employer, supervisor, or manager, you are legally

required to implement and maintain safety procedures.
Safety measures must protect workers from warehouse
hazards and ensure that they can carry out work activities
safely.
⦿ You should also focus on promoting thorough warehouse
safety procedures for reasons beyond compliance.
Maintaining good practices shows that you value staff
wellbeing and want to do things right, which boosts
motivation and increases trust in your leadership.
 Cont…
To maintain vehicle safety, you should:
⦿ Only allow staff to drive vehicles if they have received
practical training.
⦿ Ensure workers maintain speed limits.
⦿ Ensure staff avoid reversing wherever possible.
⦿ Maximise visibility.
⦿ Enforce a zero-tolerance policy for dangerous driving,
such as racing.
⦿ Keep aisles free of obstructions.
⦿ Arrange for regular inspection and maintenance of
vehicles.
⦿ Provide drivers with a list of daily checks.
⦿ Display driver safety notices and signs.
 Cont…
To prevent slips, trips, and falls, you should:
⦿ Ensure staff know how to carry out good
housekeeping.
⦿ Ensure cleaning staff display appropriate warning
signs.
⦿ Use anti-slip paint.
⦿ Use anti-slip tape and shoes.
⦿ Make sure floors are level
⦿ Use heavy-duty cord covers (cables across the floor)
 Cont…

To minimize lifting risks, you should:

⦿ Ensure operators of lifting equipment know the
maximum safe working load (SWL).
⦿ Train staff in manual handling safety.
⦿ Avoid the need for manual handling if possible –
use lift trucks, pallet trucks, trolleys, etc.
⦿ Ensure staff use and store chains properly.
 Cont…
To maintain fire safety, you should:

⦿ Carry out fire drills at least once a year.

⦿ Test fire alarms weekly.
⦿ Create a fire evacuation and emergency plan.
⦿ Designate a fire warden.
⦿ Ensure you have installed emergency lighting.
⦿ Handle materials safely.
 Cont…
To ensure pallet and racking safety, you should:
⦿ Train staff to load pallets securely.
⦿ Make sure staff follow the safe stacking height
and weight capacity.
⦿ Instruct staff to inspect each pallet before use.
⦿ Tell staff not to climb, lean on, or walk over
pallets or racking.
⦿ Ensure staff do not use pallets or fork lift trucks
to access heights.
⦿ Provide staff with suitable personal protective
equipment (PPE).
 Cont…
Personal Protective Equipment
Workers may need personal protective equipment in
your warehouse, but keep in mind that you should
first implement other control measures. This is
important because, if the PPE fails or workers don’t
wear it, any uncontrolled hazards will pose a huge
risk.
• Hard hats
• High visibility jackets
• Safety shoes
• Eye protection – safety glasses prevent debris harming
the eyes.
 Training
Training workers in health and safety is a legal
requirement.

They must understand how to work safely with

warehouse equipment and how to uphold health
and safety control measures.

⦿ Provide practical and technical training to

workers.

⦿ Take training yourself.

 Hazardous cargo
Explosives is any chemical compound, mixture,
or device the primary or common purpose of
which is to function by explosion.
Combustible Liquid
Corrosive Material
Flammable Liquid
Pyrophoric Liquid
Compressed Gas
Flammable Gas
Nonflammable Gas
Flammable Solids
Poison
Irritating Materials
Radioactive Material
Organic Peroxide
Procedure for Identification of
Hazardous Cargo
Procedure for Identification of
Hazardous Cargo
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s)
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s)
 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s)

MSDS’s are required for all chemicals that are deemed hazardous. MSDS’s
must be obtained for all chemicals in use or stored.
The MSDS’s must:

⦿ Be readily available to personnel using the substances with information on

chemicals in a form that is easily understood by the user.
⦿ Identify if the substance is a designated hazardous substance meet the needs
of those employees with language or literacy difficulties.
⦿ The manufacturer’s MSDS must be updated every five years and is
obtained from the supplier.
⦿ Contracts for the supply of hazardous substances to the Company must
include provision for the supplier to supply the appropriate MSDS and must
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s)
 Instructions to handle hazardous cargo
⦿ Dispense dangerous goods away from other
incompatible chemicals.
⦿ Personal Protective Equipment.
⦿ Safety Data Sheets.
⦿ Be aware of the specific chemical and physical
properties associated with the dangerous goods.
⦿ Classification of dangerous goods.
⦿ Selection of packaging.
⦿ Marking and labelling of packages.
⦿ Safely loading
Familiarization with the industry, Health, Safety
& Environment
A safety management system is a series of policies and
procedures organizations use to reduce accidents and
illnesses among employees.

Employers are making safety and security a top priority.

It is in a company’s best interest to ensure their employees’

occupational health and safety because injuries and illnesses
on the job can significantly hinder staff productivity and, in
turn, reduce profitability.

The best ways for businesses to stem workplace accidents

and ensure employee health and productivity is by relying
on a safety management system.
 Safety Equipment and their uses
⦿ Warehouse employees should be well-protected from head to toe. They should
be safe from impact, and in some instances, protected against chemical burns.
Personal safety equipment can and in many cases should include helmets, face
shields, eyewear, ear protection, respiratory protection, gloves, vests and
kneepads.

⦿ General ergonomics is also important for workers responsible for moving heavy
loads and operating heavy machinery. Industrial floor mats with
impact-absorbing features can reduce the strain on warehouse employees'
knees, ankles and shins.

⦿ All workers should also be trained in proper lifting that does not put undue
pressure on their backs.
 5S for ensuring safety
⦿ Sort – Sorting an area out.

⦿ Straighten – Everything in a facility should have a set

place where it is kept.

⦿ Shine – Keeping a company clean and well-maintained is

very important for safety.

⦿ Standardize – Standardizing processes will ensure

everything is done the same way every time.

⦿ Sustain – Of course, it is important to sustain all the

effort that is made in the previous steps.
 5S for ensuring safety
⦿ Sort – Sorting an area out, removing any clutter, and ensuring the only items in an
area are those that are strictly needed will eliminate obstacles. There are less items to
run into, trip over, catch on fire, or cause other types of damage. A well-sorted
workplace is a safer workplace.

⦿ Straighten – Everything in a facility should have a set place where it is kept. When
things are in their proper place, it is less likely that an employee will grab the wrong
item. Using wrong items can cause serious risks to the safety of the facility, which is
why a facility that is properly straightened up is a safer facility.

⦿ Shine – Keeping a company clean and well-maintained is very important for safety.
Wiping away dust, for example, removes a fire hazard. Cleaning up spills reduces
the risk of slip-and-fall accidents. There is really no doubt that a company that is
properly shined is a company that is safer.

⦿ Standardize – Standardizing processes will ensure everything is done the same way
every time. This will reduce the risk of malfunctions, accidents, and other issues.
Environments that follow standard processes are going to be safer environments.

⦿ Sustain – Of course, it is important to sustain all the effort that is made in the
previous steps. Taking action on any of the other S’s once won’t do much good, but
sustaining it over time will be very helpful. In fact, the longer the 5S methodology is
followed, the safer the facility will be. With this in mind it is clear that a company
Personal protective Equipment (PPE) and
their uses.
PPE is equipment that will protect the user
against health or safety risks at work. It can
include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye
protection, high-visibility clothing, safety
footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes
respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
 Cont…
1. Safety for the head
Wearing a helmet offers protection and can prevent head
injuries.

2. Protect your eyes

The eyes are the most complex and fragile parts of our body.

3. Hearing protection
Earplugs are very comfortable, but earmuffs are convenient on
the work floor as you can quickly put these on or take them off.

4. Maintain a good respiration

Wearing a mask at work is no luxury, definitely not when
coming into contact with hazardous materials.
 Cont…
5. Protect your hands with the right gloves
Hands and fingers are often injured, so it is vital to protect them
properly. Depending on the sector you work in, you can choose
from gloves for different applications:
⦿ protection against vibrations
⦿ protection against cuts by sharp materials
⦿ protection against cold or heat
⦿ protection against bacteriological risks
⦿ protection against splashes from diluted chemicals.
6. Protection for the feet
Even your feet need solid protection.
7. Wear the correct work clothing
A high-visibility jacket and pants made of a strong fabric can help
prevent accidents.